Means for cleaning paint brushes



April 1963 D. B. MESICK ETAL 3,085,282

MEANS FOR CLEANING PAINT BRUSHES Filed July 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS DONALD E. MES/CK JANE M MES/CK ATTORNEYS A ril 16, 1963 D. B. MESlCK ETAL MEANS FOR CLEANING PAINT BRUSHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1959 R O T N E W B MES/CK JANE M MES/CK BY (A a l/ DONALD ATTORNEYS 3,085,282 MEANS FUR CLEANING PAKNT BRUSHES Donald Blair Mesick and Jane McKnight Mesick, Greenwich, N. Y. (both of 101 N. I-Ioosac Road, Wiilianrstown, Mass.)

Filed July 17, 1959, Ser. No. 827,877 4 Claims. (1. 15-544) brush may be readily cleaned and restored to operative condition.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus by which paint solvent may be projected into the body or mass of bristles of the brush in a manner effectively to flush the paint from the surfaces of the bristles and thereby prevent its solidification.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a spray device including times or projections which may be entered into the bristle body of the brush to spread the bristles laterally and thereby create cavities within the body of the brush bristles so that paint solvent or cleaning liquids may be effectively projected into these cavities.

Another object of the invention is to so orient the tines with the spray orifices in the sprayer to insure correct contact of the paint solvent or cleaning liquid with the bristle-lined walls of the cavities created in the brush body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spray head with a multiplicity of spray orifices and tines with the axes of the orifices and tines arranged at an inclination with respect to one another so as to insure effective flushing action of the cleaning fluids within the cavities created by the tines when the latter are embedded in the bristle body of the brush.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from reading the following specification in the light of the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the spray head of the device shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the spray head of the device shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a fragmental view partly in section showing the arrangement of tines and spray orifices of the modifi'cation shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4, of the arranfgement of tines and spray openings in FIG. 6,

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of a spray head showing a modified'arrangement of tines and openings,

FIG. 7 is a fragmental side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of a further modification of the invention,

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the spray head shown in FIG. 8,

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the manner of cleaning the base of a mass of brush bristles,

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the manner in 3,fi85,282 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 ice which the free bristles beyond their anchored ends, are cleaned,

FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic views showing the relative position of the tines, spray openings and bristles when the spray head of the invention is in use.

In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout. The spray head 1 of the present invention may be made of any desired material such as metal, hard rubber, plastic or the like, but for the purposes of economy and convenience, it may be made from molded plastic. The spray head may take any convenient form and is shown in FIG. 1 as being generally rectangular in cross section and may be provided at one end with means 2 for attaching it to a source (not shown) of cleaning fluid or paint solvent under pressure. The spray head is generally hollow as shown at 3 and at the forward end thereof is provided with a generally flat surface 4 provided with a series of spray openings 5. The spray openings 5 may be arranged in one or more aligned rows, as shown, and between two rows of spray apertures 5 there is provided a row of aligned tines or projections 6. The tines '6 at their base (where they are attached to the flat surface 4 of the spray head) are, as shown in FIG. 2, generally aligned transversely with the apertures 55 of the rows of apertures. It should be noted that the tines 6 have a uniform inclination in the same direction and that the axes of the several tines 6 are coplanar. Similarly, the axes of the spray apertures 55 are generally parallel, with the axes of the apertures in each row being coplanar. Thus the axes of the spray openings 5 and the axes of the tines 6 lie in respective planes which are parallel to one another and generally parallel to the plane of the spray head.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 5,6 and 7 the rows of spray openings 5 and the rows of times 6 are arranged in slightly different fashion. Thus, the rows of times and the rows of spray apertures are alternated one with another, it being noted, however, that the apertures 5 in the different rows are staggered with respect to one another. However, the tines 6 at their points of attachment to the surface 4 are transversely aligned with the apertures of an adjacent row of spray apertures. The arrangement of staggered tines resulting from this arrangement gives in effect a much closer association of the tines as will be seen by an inspection of FIG. 7.

In FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 a further modification of the arrangement of the tines and spray apertures is shown,-

in this instance the rows of tines being positioned between a row of apertures 5 and theoutside edge 7 of the spray head. Also, in this modification, it is to be noted that the inclination of the tines 6 in the respective rows of tines is uniform but in opposite directions as clearly evidenced from FIG. 10. Thus the tines 6 in the upper row of tines (FIG. 8) are inclined to the right as viewed in FIG. 10, whereas the tines in the lower row of tines as viewed in FIG. 8 are inclined to the left as shown in FIG. 10. 7

It will be noted that in all of the modifications shown the rows of tines are offset laterally in respect to the rows of spray apertures so that in effect the spray apertures and tines are arranged in spaced generally parallel rows with the axes of the tines and of the spray apertures respectively lying in parallel planes. In each instance, the axes of the tines of a given row are inclined uniformly in the same direction and within the plane in which the axes of the tines lie. This makes for an ideal arrangement for creating Within the bristle body of a brush a series of cavities having side Walls formed by longitudinally extending portions of the brush bristles, with the walls disposed at an angle with respect to'the axes of the spray or streams of paint solvent or cleaning fluid which is projected from the several spray orifices. shown in the schematic view of FIG. 14 wherein the brush bristles are indicated at 8, the cavity formed within the body of bristle is indicated at 9 and the tines or teeth are indicated at 6. The arrows shown in this figure indicate generally the direction of the cleaning fluid or paint solvent projected from the spray orifices. It should be noted that the sprayed cleaning solvent impinges directly upon the side walls of the cavities established within the body of the brush bristles by the tines or projections 6. FIG. 13 shows schematically the manner in which the spray head and the teeth or projections 6 are entered into the body of bristles 8.

In use, the spray head 1 is connected to a source of paint solvent or cleaning fluid (not shown). The source of cleaning fluid may be a conventional plastic squeeze bottle, a syringe, or a conventional garden type insecticide spray can. While the spray head 1 is shown with a threaded male nipple 2 as a means of attachment to a source of cleaning fluid, it is of course understood that this is by way of example only and that any convenient type of coupling, male or female in character and simply screw threaded as shown or any type of quick detachable connector, may be used if desired. Also, it will be understood that the container for housing the cleaning fluid will have associated therewith conventional means for creating pressure, such as a squeeze bottle or syringe, or such as a hand pump or pressurized cartridge associated with a conventional garden sprayer. When so connected to a source of cleaning fluid under pressure, the spray head may be manipulated in respect to the bristles of the brush as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. To clean the major portion of the bristles beyond the anchored portions thereof within the brush handle B (see FIG. 12), the spray head is manipulated to embed the tines or projections 6 within the body of bristles. This is readily accomplished by moving the spray head 1 slightly in the direction of inclination of the tines 6 as the spray head is forced into the body of bristles. The spray head 1 is then moved longitudinally of the bristles towards the free ends thereof so that the cavities 9 which are created within the body of the bristles (see FIG. 14) are progressively moved along the length of the bristles while the spraying or cleaning fluid from the spray openings is projected along the side walls of the cavities which, as shown in FIG. 14, are defined by successive increments of longitudinal portions of the bristles. Thus, the full body of brush bristles is thoroughly flushed and cleaned by the cleaning fluid issuing from the openings 5. The solvent or cleaning fluid dripping from the brush may be conveniently received Within a suitable container, not shown.

When it is desired to clean a paint brush which has been used for a long period, or in an overhead position, as a result of which the base of the bristles close to their anchorage in the brush has saturated with paint, the spray head is inserted into the bristle body close to the anchorage point in the brush handle and with the bristles formed or forced into the position shown in FIG. 11. In this position, the cavities are formed by the tines in close proximity to the anchorage point of the bristles so that the cleaning fluid is projected directly into the base of the bristles and effectively flushes the paint therefrom.

When the spray head has the tines 6 arranged in spaced rows in which the inclination of the tines is in opposite directions, as shown in the modification of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the tines may be entered into the bristle body by turning the spray head slightly about its longitudinal axis as the tines penetrate the bristles. Otherwise, the operation of this form of invention is the same as previously described.

It will be understood that the spray openings 5 while shown generally circular in cross section need not be so made but may have any desired form so long as the spray of the cleaning fluid projected therefrom is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spray head. Thus This relationship is clearly the spray openings may be slits or slots rather than orifices of circular cross section as shown. The same is true in respect to the contour or cross sectional shape of the tines 6. The general cylindrical form of the tines and the generally circular cross sectional form of the spray openings have been found most convenient in manufacture, but these particular forms are not critical.

Having thus described the invention it is apparent that the method of the invention is simple and effective in flushing entrapped paint from used paint brushes by creating cavities within the bristle body of the brush and projecting paint solvent or cleaning fluid into the thus established cavities and along the side walls thereof which are defined by longitudinal increments of the bristles. Furthermore, the spray head of the present invention provides an effective means for creating a plurality of cavities within the bristle body of a brush, the cavities having walls arranged at an angle to the axes of the streams which are projected into the cavities by the spray head. Thus, substantially all of the bristles of the brush and all portions thereof are effectively subjected to the projected spray of paint solvent or cleaning fluid.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates that various changes in the size and proportion of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention which is set forth more clearly in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A brush cleaning spray device comprising a hollow body member provided with a row of generally aligned spray openings having their axes generally parallel and disposed in a common plane, a row of tines having substantial rigidity carried by the body member and projecting therefrom, the axes of said tines being disposed in a common plane spaced from and generally parallel to the plane of the spray opening axes, said tines being inclined within the plane of their axes in the same direction in respect to the axes of said spray openings, the tines at their point of atachment to the body member being substantially aligned transversely thereof with the respective spray openings in an adjacent row of spray openings.

2. A brush cleaning spray device comprising a hollow body member provided with a plurality of substantially aligned rows of spaced spray openings, the axes of the spray openings in the respective rows being coplanar and parallel to one another, a row of spaced generally aligned tines adjacent to each row of spray openings and in general parallel relation thereto, the axes of the tines in the respective rows of tines being coplanar, the planes of the axes of the spray openings and the planes of the axes of the tines being spaced and in general parallel relation, the axes of the tines in one row of tines being 'inclined in one direction within the plane thereof and the axes of the tines in another adjacent row of tines being inclined in the opposite direction within the plane thereof.

'3. A brush cleaning spray device comprising a hollow body member provided with a first and second row of generally aligned spaced spray openings with the spray openings in one row staggered with respect to the spray openings in an adjacent row, the axes of the spray openings in the respective rows being disposed in common spaced parallel planes, a first and a second row of tines carried by the body member, said tines having substantial rigidity, the axes of the tines in the first and second rows of tines being disposed respectively in common spaced parallel planes, the tines in said first row of tines being transversely aligned at their points of attachment to the body member with the spray openings in said first row of spray openings, and inclined in a predetermined direction within the plane thereof, and the tines in saidsecond row of tines being transversely aligned at the point of attachment thereof with the body member with the spray openings in said second row of spray openings and inclined in said same predetermined direction.

4. A brush cleaning spray device comprising a hollow body member having a spray surface lying generally within a common plane, said spray surface being provided with a row of generally aligned spray openings in communication with the interior of the device and having their axes generally parallel and disposed in a common plane generally perpendicular to the plane of said spray surface, a row of tines having substantial rigidity carried by said spray surface in general parallel relation to the row of spray openings therein, said tines projecting from said spray surface at points in general transverse alignment with the respective spray openings and having their axes generally parallel and disposed in a common plane spaced from and generally parallel to the plane of the axes of said spray openings, the axes of the tines of said row of tines being substantially uniformly inclined within the common plane of the tines and inclined with respect to the general plane of said spray surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A BRUSH CLEANING SPRAY DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A ROW OF GENERALLY ALIGNED SPRAY OPENINGS HAVING THEIR AXES GENERALLY PARALLEL AND DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE, A ROW OF TINES HAVING SUBSTANTIAL RIGIDITY CARRIED BY THE BODY MEMBER AND PROJECTING THEREFROM, THE AXES OF SAID TINES BEING DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE SPACED FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE SPRAY OPENING AXES, SAID TINES BEING INCLINED WITHIN THE PLANE OF THEIR AXES IN THE SAME DIRECTION IN RESPECT TO THE AXES OF SAID SPRAY OPENINGS, THE TINES AT THEIR POINT OF ATACHMENT TO THE BODY MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED TRANSVERSELY THEREOF WITH THE RESPECTIVE SPRAY OPENINGS IN AN ADJACENT ROW OF SPRAY OPENINGS. 